Improvement in carriage-tops



E. P. STEDMAN, Crriage-Tap.

Patented April.6,1875.

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IMPROVEMENT IN CARRIAGE-TOPS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 161,837, dated April 6, 1875; application filed September 14, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELIHU P. STEDMAN, of Itavenna, in the county of Portage and State of Ohio, have invented a new and Improved Shifting Carriage-Top; and I do hereby declare that the following is a clear, full, concise, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

The principal feature of novelty in this invention is the combination of the bows with a frame, to which the carriage-cover is fastened.

Figure 1 is a side view of the carriage-top, with a portion of the cover removed. Fig. 2 is a view of the under side of the frame to which the cover is attached.

The frame 8 is attached to and supported by the bows-0c. It may be made of two bows, joined together at their ends. The cover b is fastened to the outside of the frame 8, which projects beyond the lower part of the frame. Buttons are attached to the outside of the lower part of the frame 8, to which curtains may be hung, and also the quarters d d. The bows c c are connected by slat-irons o to the seat 9, or to irons fastened to the seat, so that the bows may turn and let the top back and down. The top is braced and held in position by the jointed propi, by means of which the top may be let down. The short bow at is attached to the frame 8 in the same manner as the bows c 0, and may be used or not, as may be desired to aid in sustaining and giving shape to the cover I).

The two bows c 0, being combined with the rigid frame 8, are all that are necessary to sustain the cover, and may be attached to the frame 8 near its center on each side, so as not to be in the way of a person entering the carriage.

The carriage-tops in common use, having no frame 8, and requiring four or live bows to sustain the cover, and two of the bows extending to the front and back ends of the cover, produce so much curvature of the cover, and bring its sides so far down on the bows, that the cover cannot be properly attached without being made of several pieces sewed together.

The cover b is seamless, its curvature being so slight, by reason of its bows 0 0 being attached to the frame 8 near its center, that the cover I) may be made of but one piece of cloth or leather. The prop z is attached by propirous to the seat 9, and to the frame 8.

The quarters d 01 may be removed when desired, as they are buttoned to the seat g, and to the frame 8 under the back end of the cover I). The top is attached only to the seat 9, and may be easily detached from it. If desired, it may be connected to the seat, in the ordinary manner, by means of a shifting rail.

I claim as my invention 1. The rigid frame 8, extending around horizontally on all sides of the top, in combination with the bows c a, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of the cover I) and the horizontal frame 8, with its buttons, on which to fasten curtains and quarters, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination of the prop t, bows c a, bow a, seat g, cover I), and frame 8, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

I BRADFORD HOWLAND, GEORGE F. ROBINSON. 

